Mucky Duck celebrates 20 years

Congratulations — and many thanks — to McGonigel’s Mucky Duck on its 20-year anniversary. The pub is celebrating this week with a neat little beer-and-food special Wednesday night.

I’ve always enjoyed the beer, the comfort food and the excellent music at this pub on Norfolk. The older I get, the more I appreciate the relaxed, grown-up atmosphere.

So drink up Wednesday. It’s Irish Pint and Pie Night.

One of the first shows I saw in Houston after moving back to Texas in 1994 was Kelly Willis at the Duck. I was already a big fan of Willis, and I wound up buying another ticket and staying for the second show. Soon, I was a semi-regular at the Wednesday night Irish sessions, and over the years I have seen many great musical acts, including Scott Miller, Stone Coyotes, Iris Dement, Billy Joe Shaver (with Eddie on guitar, before his death) and more recently Idgy Vaughn and Randy Weeks. I could go on and on … .